Draft Charter for Cesar Chavez to Go Before School Board on Tuesday

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By Giana Magnoli, Noozhawk Staff Writer

The board also will be asked to approve a notice of release for temporary teachers

Cesar Chavez Charter School will present its draft charter to the Santa Barbara school board on Tuesday, a step toward protecting the school from closure.

Santa Barbara School District administrators initially proposed discontinuing the charter because of low test scores, but the charter was extended to June while the school’s governance council works on a plan for improvement.

There has been positive response to the draft so far by some board members and administrators, governance council member Mary Docter told Noozhawk during Read Across America Day last week.

The draft is scheduled on Tuesday’s agenda as a conference item, so the board may make comments, direct staff or take action.

Cesar Chavez also has a new principal — Juanita Hernandez, who has more than two decades of experience as a bilingual teacher, principal and administrator. Before she was hired, former Peabody Charter School Principal Pat Morales worked as an interim principal and consultant.

Also on Tuesday, the board will be asked to approve a notice of release to temporary teachers, which releases certificated employees beginning in June. A child development position, four special-education employees, 29 elementary employees and 41 secondary employees are listed.

Amid a number of personnel complaints regarding the special-education department, the board will be asked to hire Steven Morford as a consultant.

A retired Special Education Local Plan Area director, Morford would investigate the complaints at a rate of $1,200 per day plus any reasonable lodging and meal reimbursements, according to the draft contract included with Tuesday’s agenda.

— Noozhawk staff writer Giana Magnoli can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

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